ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Ronnie L. White on Thursday sentenced a drug dealer who mailed crystal methamphetamine to St. Louis from Arizona to seven and one-half years in prison.
Hosea Simpson, 36, pleaded guilty in February to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Beginning in 2019, Simpson and his co-defendant, LeVaughn Neal, obtained methamphetamine in Arizona and mailed it to the St. Louis area, addressed to both vacant and occupied homes. The residents had no knowledge of the shipments. Simpson and Neal would wait in a vehicle for the package to be delivered, grab it and then drive away.
Both the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service became aware of the shipments.
On August 21,2019 postal inspectors intercepted a suspicious package mailed from Tempe, Arizona to Des Peres, Missouri that contained 13 pounds of methamphetamine. While the package was being held by investigators, Neal called the postal service twice, inquiring about the package and how to retrieve it, but never picked it up.
On September 4,2019, postal inspectors found another suspicious package headed to Jennings. They watched as Simpson got out of a rental car driven by Neal and retrieved the package. The pair drove off and escaped.
On September 12,2019, DEA agents utilized a confidential source to buy $1,200 worth of crystal methamphetamine from Neal and Simpson.
On October 17 ,2019, postal inspectors again spotted a suspicious package heading to Jennings, and DEA agents arrested Neal after he retrieved it from the front porch of a vacant home. The package contained nearly five pounds of crystal methamphetamine that was 98% pure.
Neal, 36, of Dellwood, was sentenced by Judge White in January to 13 years in prison on the same charge.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Paul D’Agrosa prosecuted the case.